Powered by .id (informed decisions) for Australia
.id community is an evidence base for over 250 local government areas in Australia and New Zealand, helping you make informed decisions.
LEARN MORE ABOUT .idIn 2021, 496,280 males in Australia were attending university. This represents 4.0% of the population, compared to 4.9% in Greater Capital Cities.
The share of Australia's population attending educational institutions reflects the age structure of the population, as it is influenced by the number of children attending school; proximity to tertiary education, which can mean young adults leaving home to be nearer to educational facilities and; the degree to which people are seeking out educational opportunities in adulthood, especially in their late teens and early twenties.
This data is often combined with Age Structure to identify areas with significant university student populations.
Q:
Derived from the Census question:
'What type of educational institution is the person attending?'
| Education institution attending | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia - Total males (Usual residence) | 2021 | 2016 | Change | ||||
| Type of institution | Number | % | Greater Capital Cities % | Number | % | Greater Capital Cities % | 2016 to 2021 |
| Pre-school | 252,528 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 180,897 | 1.6 | 1.6 | +71,631 |
| Primary school | 1,062,923 | 8.5 | 8.6 | 988,695 | 8.6 | 8.6 | +74,228 |
| Primary - Government | 735,161 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 680,311 | 5.9 | 5.8 | +54,850 |
| Primary - Catholic | 200,399 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 191,732 | 1.7 | 1.7 | +8,667 |
| Primary - Independent | 127,363 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 116,652 | 1.0 | 1.1 | +10,711 |
| Secondary school | 826,086 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 733,196 | 6.3 | 6.4 | +92,890 |
| Secondary - Government | 481,078 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 423,436 | 3.7 | 3.5 | +57,642 |
| Secondary - Catholic | 184,405 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 169,413 | 1.5 | 1.5 | +14,992 |
| Secondary - Independent | 160,603 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 140,347 | 1.2 | 1.4 | +20,256 |
| TAFE/Vocational | 275,119 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 192,817 | 1.7 | 1.8 | +82,302 |
| University | 496,280 | 4.0 | 4.9 | 507,150 | 4.4 | 5.5 | -10,870 |
| Other | 106,197 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 76,081 | 0.7 | 0.8 | +30,116 |
| Not attending | 8,754,734 | 69.8 | 69.3 | 7,998,755 | 69.3 | 68.7 | +755,979 |
| Not stated | 771,247 | 6.1 | 5.2 | 869,054 | 7.5 | 6.7 | -97,807 |
| Total | 12,545,114 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 11,546,645 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +998,469 |
Dominant groups
Analysis of the share of the male population attending educational institutions in Australia in 2021 compared to Greater Capital Cities shows that there was a similar proportion attending primary school, a similar proportion attending secondary school, and a lower proportion engaged in tertiary level education.
Overall, 8.5% of the male population were attending primary school, 6.6% of the male population were attending secondary institutions, and 6.1% were learning at a tertiary level, compared with 8.6%, 6.7% and 7.2% respectively for Greater Capital Cities.
There were no major differences between Australia and Greater Capital Cities in 2021.
Emerging groups
From 2016 to 2021, Australia's male population increased by 998,469 people (+8.6%). This represents an average annual change of 1.67% per year over the period.
The largest changes in the number of males attending education institutions in Australia, between 2016 and 2021 were in those who nominated:
- Secondary school (+92,890 males)
- TAFE/Vocational (+82,302 males)
- Primary school (+74,228 males)
- Pre-school (+71,631 males)
DISCLAIMER: While all due care has been taken to ensure that the content of this website is accurate and current, there may be errors or omissions in it and no legal responsibility is accepted for the information and opinions in this website.
Please view our Privacy Policy, Terms of use and Legal notices.
ABS Data and the copyright in the ABS Data remains the property of the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The copyright in the way .id has modified, transformed or reconfigured the ABS Data as published on this website remains the property of .id. ABS Data can be accessed from the Australian Bureau of Statistics at www.abs.gov.au. ABS data can be used under license - terms published on ABS website. intermediary.management@abs.gov.au if you have any queries or wish to distribute any ABS data.